In Re Crowder

374 B.R. 861, 2007 Bankr. LEXIS 3063, 2007 WL 2572218
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Mexico
DecidedAugust 31, 2007
Docket19-10200
StatusPublished

This text of 374 B.R. 861 (In Re Crowder) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Mexico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Crowder, 374 B.R. 861, 2007 Bankr. LEXIS 3063, 2007 WL 2572218 (N.M. 2007).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION RE MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON OMNIBUS OBJECTION TO CLAIM OF CATALINA DEVELOPMENT, INC.

MARK B. McFEELEY, Bankruptcy Judge.

THIS MATTER is before the Court on a portion of the Chapter 7 Trustee’s Omnibus Objection to Remaining Disputed Claims filed on March 21, 2006 (the “Omnibus Objection”) concerning the Trustee’s objection to Proof of Claim No. 175 filed on September 12, 2000 by Catalina Development, Inc., Santa Teresa Country Club, LLC and Mesilla Bolson Properties, LLC (“Mesilla Bolson), (collectively referred to as “Catalina”). Omnibus Objection ¶¶ 69-74 (Doc. 1553). Catalina’s Claim has two components: 1) a claim for the fair market value of two tracts of real property, one tract allegedly valued at $850,000.00 and *864 the other allegedly valued at $235,000.00 (the “Real Estate Claim”); and 2) a claim for the amount required to drill water wells to replace wells that Catalina contends should have been conveyed to it in a settlement transaction with the Debtor and the Trustee as successor of the Debtor (the “Well Claim”).

On October 6, 2006, the Trustee filed a motion for partial summary judgment as to both the Real Estate Claim and the Well Claim (the “Motion”); Catalina filed a Response and Memorandum on October 23, 2006; the Trustee filed a Reply. Docs. 1599,1600,1601 and 1605.

The Motion will be denied in part because material fact issues preclude summary judgment on the Real Estate Claim. The Motion will be granted as to the Well Claim. The following are the Court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law. Fed. R. Bankr.P. 7052.

The Crowder Land Development Business

1. In the late 1960’s C.L. Crowder Investment Company (“Investment Company”), 100% owned by the Debtor and her former husband Charles Crowder (“Crow-der”), belonged to a partnership known as Santa Teresa Developers, in connection with the development of 29,000 + acres of real property in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Trustee’s Ex. A Crowder Aff. If 2; Trustee’s Ex. B p. 11.

2. In December 1976 the New Mexico Public Utility Commission issued a certificate of convenience and necessity (CCN) to Santa Teresa Developers 1 authorizing it to provide water utility service. Crowder Aff. ¶ 3. Santa Teresa Developers drilled several water wells and built a water utility infrastructure. Crowder Aff. ¶ 4. The water utility infrastructure consists in part of Well 6 and a water storage tank, both of which are located on a 2.56 acre tract on the south side of Airport Road, Santa Teresa, New Mexico. Crowder Aff. ¶ 4.

3. In 1977, Santa Teresa Developers was dissolved, and its assets were transferred to Investment Company. Trustee’s Ex. B p. 11. In 1979, Investment Company acquired Santa Teresa Country Club, Inc. (“STCC”), and transferred the utility assets to STCC. Trustee’s Ex. B p. 12; Trustee’s Ex. E p. In 1986, all of the assets of STCC were conveyed to Investment Company, which was later liquidated with all of its assets and liabilities distributed to the Debtor and Crowder individually. Trustee’s Ex. B p. 12; Trustee’s Ex. E p. 4.

4. In 1987 Santa Teresa Services Company (“STSC”), also 100% owned by Debt- or and Crowder, was formed, and in 1988, STSC received a CCN to provide sewer utility services. Trustee’s Ex. B p. 14; Trustee’s Ex. E p. 4; Crowder Aff. ¶¶ 8-9. STSC constructed a sewage treatment plant on a portion of a 15.002 acre tract of land. Crowder Aff. ¶¶ 8-9.

5. The Court will refer to the two tracts of land, upon which water and sewer utility structures were located, as the “Utility Parcels.”

6. In 1985, Investment Company executed a $5.4 million promissory note (the “Note”) that was later acquired by the Resolution Trust Corporation (the “RTC”). The Note was guaranteed by Crowder and the Debtor and was secured by mortgages on land in Santa Teresa New Mexico. Crowder Aff. ¶ 6. Catalina acquired the Note from the RTC. Trustee’s Ex. C (Collins Dep. p. 16 line 22-p. 17, line 4).

*865 Bankruptcy, Catalina’s Claim and the Settlement

7. Debtor filed this bankruptcy proceeding under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on January 26, 1996. The Debtor and Crowder were married as of the filing date. On June 4, 1999, the case was converted to Chapter 7.

8. On April 7, 1997, Crowder filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, No. 11-97-11981, which was dismissed and closed on October 11, 2000.

9. After Catalina filed a motion to lift the stay, Catalina, the Debtor and Crow-der entered into a settlement agreement, (the “Letter Agreement”). Trustee’s Ex. D.

10. The Letter Agreement specifically required the Debtor

to convey by Special Warranty Dee [sic] and Bill of Sale all of the real property marked in Red on the map ... (herein-' after, the “Red Lands”);
to convey by Special Warranty Deed and/or Bill of Sale all assets (including cash and accounts receivable) making up the business known as the Santa Teresa Country Club;
to convey by Special Warranty Deed fee simple title to the water rights to 2000 acre feet of water and fee simple title to well number 24 .... this provision shall not be construed
to entitle [Catalina] to more than 2,000 acre feet of water rights.... ”

Trustee’s Ex. D. ¶¶ 3(a)-(c).

11. Gregory Collins (“Collins”)is Catalina’s owner and is a member of Mesilla Bolson, Catalina’s third party designee to receive title to the property under the Letter Agreement. Catalina’s Ex. D Collins Aff. p. 3. Based on information from Crowder as to which parcels Crowder and Debtor owned, Collins prepared the map referred to in the Letter Agreement showing parcels 1 through 20 circled in red ink, which were referred to as the Red Lands. A title search was not performed before the map was prepared. Collins Aff. p. 1.

12. In its Claim, Catalina asserts that under the Letter Agreement, an order entered by this Court in October 1999 (the “October 1999 Order”), and an order entered by this Court in August 2000 (the “August 2000 Order”), it has a claim for the fair market value of several parcels within the Red Lands that should have been conveyed to it on August 8, 2000. The Claim specifically references Parcels 1, 6, 9, 11, 12, and 20. The Utility Parcels, not initially mentioned in the Claim, are identified as Parcels 7 and 15 in the Letter Agreement.

13. The Well Claim asks for the amount required to replace water wells numbered 2, 17, 19, 24 and 32 that Catalina contends should have been, but were not, conveyed to it as assets of STCC.

14. On October 11, 2000, the Trustee responded to the Real Estate Claim and the Well Claim and admitted that Catalina received only an undivided one-half interest in Parcels 9, 11, 12, and 20 but disputed the amount required to compensate Catalina for these parcels. The Trustee denied that Catalina failed to receive all of Parcel 1 and asserted that Parcel 6 was never property of the estate.

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Bluebook (online)
374 B.R. 861, 2007 Bankr. LEXIS 3063, 2007 WL 2572218, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-crowder-nmb-2007.